Written by Being a coach is not easy. A coach must look out for the safety and well being of the athletes, team, assistant coaches, and support staff. A coach has to provide a safe environment, not only from physical dangers or injuries, but mental and emotional safety as well. In many organizations, the coach must also coordinate competitions, travel, home events, and player personnel. The coach must fit in planning and preparing for practices, preparing for competitions, mentoring athletes and staff, and the coach must meet or exceed the organization’s expectation of them.
Oh yeah, the coach must find time to fit some actual coaching in there.
If you think about it, the expectations of many coaches are extremely unrealistic, but coaches still figure out how to make it through each practice, competition, week, season, and year. However, no matter how big the burden, how tired the coach is, or how busy the coach is, athletes must always be the center of focus. Is the coach having a hard time personally? Is the coach feeling subpar that day? Is the coach not getting enough sleep, exercise, or eating right? If the coach is not doing well, the coach cannot take it out on the athletes.
While it is easy for someone to write about what coaches should and should not be doing, it is harder as a coach to always foster a positive culture and a safe environment. It is a balancing act where an action today can positively impact a team in both the short or long term. Sometimes what may feel like a benign act or discussion can lead to extreme success or horrible failure. A lot is riding on many coaches’ shoulders, and one small obstacle could derail the entire team. It is sometimes an extremely difficult task, being a coach.
When the day seems insurmountable, all a coach can do is take a deep breath and assess the day or situation ahead of them. What can the coach accomplish today, what really matters, and where can that coach best make a difference? All simple things to say, but when the unclimbable mountain is staring the coach in the face, what choice does the coach have?
The choice that most coaches choose, is to be the best coach that they can be.